Demon's Kiss (13 page)

Chapter Eleven

Mel paced the throne room, annoyed at the guardian’s tardiness.
‘What could be keeping the woman? It is training, not a date. She doesn’t need to dress up.’
After another fifteen minutes, his annoyance won out and he stalked down the hall to her room. After several knocks produced no response, he turned the knob slowly and peeked into the room. Shock marred his features as he saw her slumped on the bed, blood staining the towel covering her otherwise naked body. Mel rushed over to her and lifted the towel slightly only to wince at the jagged marks that mutilated her flesh. Blood poured from the wounds, slowly trickled down her sides onto the mattress.

With a foul curse the judge knelt next to the bed and placed his palms over her injuries. Heat built up in within him and spread through her wounds, closed the lacerations as healing energy flowed over her skin. When she was healed, he flashed her into some clothes and softly touched her cheek. Fear for her safety, for almost losing her collided against his stubbornness. “Clarissa?” He shook her slightly to try and awaken her. “Clarissa! Please open your eyes, love.”

She blinked her green eyes to pierce a stare at him and then glanced down at her belly only to see she was dressed in jeans and a shirt. Not her usual wear but? Lifting up the blouse, she looked at her unblemished, unmarred skin. “Thank you.” She sat up and gazed at him with a serious concern etched on her face. “The demon is tapping into the part of the stone he has. It’s not much but it is amplifying his powers somewhat. Shit, Xon used astro-projection and illusion on me. Tell me how I train for that?”

“Just because Xon used his abilities on you does not mean you cannot use yours on him. Your telekinesis and other capabilities are just as strong as his since you are the custodian of the gem he is trying to usurp. Concentration whenever he appears will enable you to be just as successful no matter the realm he appears in. Trust in yourself and you will overcome his attacks to defeat him.”

She sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. “You make it sound so easy. Just focus. Just ruminate. I do but still he surprised me. It happened so fast I barely realized what was going on, much less how to attack him.” Clarissa moved closer to him, fear impressed deeply on her features. “Xon was in New Orleans. He had my place of employment on fire. Was that real too? Was he killing my friends to get at me and the rest of the gem?”

Azamel frowned. “I would not put it past him. If he were able to hone in on you here in my realm then there is every possibility that what he showed you actually occurred. Remain here and I will check it out.”

“No! I will go with you.”

“And fall into whatever trap he has prepared for you? I warned you before that he will be anticipating you. If he came here to call you to him then he is planning on you arriving so he can get the rest of the stone. Do not be stupid, Clarissa. Not after everything you have accomplished thus far. Let me check it out. He will not be expecting me and even if, by some miracle he did think that far ahead, he cannot defeat me.” Without speaking another word, Mel teleported out of the room, leaving her alone.

As she watched him depart, she screamed in fury. He left her? She knew he was probably correct but still Mel did not trust her enough to take her with him. To allow her to check on those she called friends for the last couple of months. She paced the chamber while she awaited his return.

*****

Azamel appeared outside of the bar he knew Clarissa worked at. The building was on fire. Orange, red, yellow and even some blue flames licked towards the sky. The screams of those still trapped within pierced the night. Mel remained in the shadows watching. He opened his senses to find the object of his desire. He realized that if he eliminated the threat of Xon here and now, he could get Clarissa back to her own life, away from him. No more temptation from her. No more craving her touch, her scent.

Mel frowned when he realized that Xon was not as near as he originally thought. Using his powers, Mel doused the fire from the upper floor to an exit, allowing those trapped to escape safely. He continued to watch, waited for Xon to show himself. To release the trap Mel knew was set.

Across the street, on a roof top Xon sat gazing at the chaos below. His minions waited for his command. He did not think that he had damaged the guardian that strongly during his projected visit, yet she still was not here. Who was surprised him. Although Xon could not tell exactly where the judge was, he did realize that he was near. This did not please Xon. He wanted the other part of the stone, not to have to deal with demon justice who could easily condemn him for millennia. Realizing the custodian would not appear and the joy he had originally obtained from the destruction and chaos of the fire had been depleted, Xon dismissed his men. He would find the keeper of the gem in due time. It would just take longer than planned. He gave one last look around then dematerialized as well.

Once Azamel saw all safe from the building and the fire fighters had the blaze under control, he returned to his abode. He found Clarissa anxiously awaiting him. Mel wanted nothing more than to gather her up in his arms and reassure her but he could not allow that action to occur. As she stopped pacing, she wrung her hands in front of her.

“Well?”

“The building was on fire. Everyone got out safely. The structure is damaged but not irreparable. It was a trap. I sensed him there, just could not find him directly. The power of the portion of gem he has was enough to somewhat block me, at least in pinpointing his exact location.”

Clarissa sat heavily on the chair, her face in her hands and breathed deeply. “Thank you for checking on them for me. For letting me know.”

“Clarissa, we are not done. You are not ready for him yet. He is still too strong, too wily.” As much as Mel needed to have her gone, there was another part that did not want to see her out of his life. Not yet. Even though he knew there would come a day soon enough that he would have to set her free. He snarled to himself at how much the thought of being alone again, being without her crushed him.

She heard his growl and frowned. The coldness in his eyes indicated to her that he had no desire to have her around but did so out of some obligation to his job. “I understand and am willing to continue to learn under your guidance until you feel I am ready to confront him.”

They spent the next two weeks training daily. Mel made her use the orb until she felt nothing more than a twinge of painful regret letting her past unfold before her. Her fighting skills, which were already good, became excellent and Mel admired her fortitude in working out. She even taught him a move or two and for someone as old as him, that was rather amazing. Before either realized it, she was ready and Mel knew it was time to let Xon come to them.

 
Chapter Twelve

They appeared in the jungle where they first met. The landscape had not changed much in the past couple of weeks. Clarissa remembered well seeing Azamel the first time leaned up against that tree. How so much had transpired between them since that day. She fell in love with him, even though she still would not admit it to him. Hell, she barely admitted it to herself. She followed him with her eyes as he set the parameters. He was unwilling to deal with Xon’s henchmen so the border Mel established would keep them out.

He glanced over his shoulder on occasion to notice Clarissa. She still made his blood boil, gave him companionship. She accepted him despite the demon that resided within him. That never happened before in his life. Always the creature he contained scared any he thought about away, so he had stopped thinking about anyone and concentrated on being alone. After today however, he would never see her again and it tore him up inside. They had not touched, kissed or made love since that one night after she had healed him. He kept his distance, despite how difficult it was. He had utilized every bit of his age long discipline in order to remain stoic whenever she was around. When she was not near, Mel had put her image, scent, feel and taste aside.

Azamel had sent his minions to spread the word, discreetly of course, of where the guardian would be this day. He had been keeping track of Xon’s actions and knew the demon was extremely anxious to get the stone together. So much so that he would make mistakes and that was what Mel relied on. The border set, the trap laid, Mel returned to Clarissa’s side. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. As ready as I am going to be.”

“I will be near. Stay focused. Stay alive.” He started to move to her and steal a kiss and then thought better of it at the last moment. No need to start something that he could never finish. He refused to be weak and struggled with surrendering what he could never have. He faded out, leaving her alone in the lea.

Clarissa sat, waited for Xon to show. Although she told Azamel she was ready, being a guinea pig did not sit real well with her. She had the dagger in hand. She needed to have it here so the portion of the gem Xon had would resonate with power and indicate her location, now that she no longer had the protection of the nether realm that Mel’s abode resided in. She rested against the tree in a similar pose that Mel had taken when she came across him all those weeks ago.

Minutes ticked by. Hours passed and still Xon did not show. She was getting anxious and stiff. She stood and stretched, easily slipped into the movements that she practiced over and over again with Mel during their time together. She pivoted when she found her arm grabbed and pinned behind her. Reacting on instinct, she spun, stuck her foot behind his and reversed the hold. She twisted again slightly and flipped her attacker over her shoulder to land at her feet.

Xon sputtered as he sent an energy bolt towards her. Clarissa dove, landing near the tree that supported her back only a short time ago. She quickly rose to her feet, her mouth slightly agape at the monstrous demon that stood where she was just moments before. Xon was huge, eight and a half feet tall and pure muscle, with puckish green skin, a sharp barbed tail and brown pointed horns. He sensed her gaze and his bright yellow eyes turned towards her. She swallowed at the imposing figure he made.

Guardian and demon stared at each other for a moment. Then Xon spoke, his voice resonated through the woods, “You can beg, you can plead, you can say please as much as you want. You’re not getting it back, Guardian.”

She looked at him, trying to find her voice, before her fury boiled over at the damage he had done thus far. Her friends, her place of employment all put into danger because of his greed. She stood before him with resolve, strength and stubbornness. “I will do none of the above. You stole my property and you will give it back, dead or alive. The choice is yours.”

Xon laughed. “Then I choose death, yours!”

Xon threw a fire ball at her which she dove to dodge, only to land near his tail. He slashed the barbed appendage at her and it sliced across her chest, her blouse shredded. The barbs were poisonous and she felt the toxin seep into her open wounds as it slowly paralyzed her. She struggled and her breathing became raspy as the demon slashed at her again. She deflected his tail the second time and stabbed his ribs with her weapon, giving him a deep cut. The first bout of venom oozed into her body, weakened her and Clarissa knew she would be unable to avoid his next attack until she was unexpectedly pulled back out of harm’s way.

Mel flashed in front of Xon as he gave the demon a foul glare as fear for Clarissa ripped through him. “Stay away from her! What the fuck is it with you assholes? Do you have some book on demons that states you all have to be fuck ass ugly and stink to high heaven? No amount of bleach can get rid of that.”

Xon gaped at him. He would have been fearful of the judge if not for the partial power of the gem that was still within his clutches. “Fine then you can die first and she can watch as I take you out.”

“Close your mouth, your breath is even worse than your stench.”

The executioner lifted both hands and before the demon could move he sent an energy blast that caused Xon to fly fifty feet away into a group of trees and shrubs. Mel did not stop to see where he ended up as he went to check on Clarissa worriedly. Waving his hand over her wounds, he healed her, pulling all of the toxin out of her body.

She was still breathing heavily, trying to recuperate from the poison, yet grateful to him for his assistance. She scrambled unsteadily to her feet and stood beside him as Xon stormed back towards them. Both Mel and Clarissa prepared themselves for battle and her vision was dead on. Standing next to the handsome stranger fighting the demon to retrieve the stone as it was foreseen.

Clarissa used her telekinesis and called to the portion of the gem that Xon had, watching as it came to her. Xon tried to grab it back into his possession but Mel tackled him to keep him away from the stone and the guardian. Although immensely smaller than the demon, Mel was ancient power. He was not called the executioner for nothing. In the blink of an eye, Xon was down on his knees as Mel grabbed his neck in a vice like grip, squeezing slowly. The voice that left Mel’s lips reverberated, a deep demonic sound echoing through the clearing, “You have been found guilty for several crimes, the least of which was hurting the guardian. Your sentence is death.”

Before Clarissa could even take another breath, a bloodied head rolled at her feet as Xon’s body toppled over. She jumped back slightly, tucking the portion of the stone the demon had found away before Mel stalked slowly towards her. She watched the executioner, uncertain yet afraid he no longer had a reason to stay and would leave her or cast her out. Or would he try taking the stone from her now that he had no excuse to remain for Xon and protect her? Could she let him go without telling him how she felt about him? She was in love with him. She loved the way he growled, infuriated, cared and forced her to come to terms with what was inside her heart as well as what she wanted.

She would die for the protection of the gem of power but she wanted a life not just an existence. Most of all she desired to spend her days and better yet, her nights with this demon she should detest, fear but instead loved with all her being. She was terrified that he would walk out of her world and she would never see him again without his ever knowing how much she cared for him.

Mel did not stop as he approached her. Instead, he pulled her to him, capturing her lips passionately with his. Azamel knew right then and there he needed her. He wanted her and could not be without her near him. After centuries of being alone, of not caring about anyone or anything, this little slip of a wolf affected him, broke through his barriers as none had before. He had thought her lost to him when Xon poisoned her and the very idea almost brought him to his knees in despair.

Every concern he had felt, every fear he had dissolved as he felt her arms wrap around his neck and she held him close to her, returned his passion with a heat of her own. He pulled back momentarily, his voice husky and low, “You are coming home with me. You still need to be trained and you need to be protected and I will do both. If you let me, tell me no now and I will leave you alone forever.” Mel swallowed as apprehension of her answer enveloped his entire being.

It took her a moment to get her head wrapped around everything but the one thing she was sure of was she wanted to be with Azamel. She had nothing else to go back to, no one who wanted her, except him. And for once, she desired something for herself. “Do not leave me, Azamel. I need you.” She paused, unsure if she could continue and yet realizing she needed him to know. “I love you.”

Azamel released a breath he had not even realized he was holding until it expelled from his lungs He smiled as he bent down to scoop her into his arms. “I love you as well, Clarissa, and I will be by your side for as long as you will have me. Longer even, for I do not think I could ever let you go now. The thought of saying goodbye to you touched a part of me that I have not felt in eons. I did not believe I could feel ever again. You have awakened something inside of me and I cannot give you up.”

Cradled in his arms, she hugged him tightly as he flashed them both back to his place in the Nether Realm, where he could keep her and the stone safe.